Bay Shore

BUDGET

SPENDING $159,398,062, a 2.28 percent increase from the current $155,847,443.

TAX LEVY 2.43 percent increase, from $106,695,184 to $109,286,929. This is equal to the district's 2.43 percent tax-cap limit, so a simple majority vote is required for approval.

TEACHER PAY / PROGRAMS Includes step increases where applicable, but no increment as the salary schedule is frozen. The contract also includes flat amounts for certain employees hired before a certain date. The district plans to hire three more ESL teachers and a world language (Spanish) teacher.

WHEN | WHERE

6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Bay Shore High School gym lobby. www.bayshoreschools.org

CANDIDATES

Incumbents Andrew A. Arcuri, Thomas Falconer and Nic Scott are seeking one at-large seat. The term is three years.

Andrew A. Arcuri

BACKGROUND Arcuri, 59, is an attorney. He received his law degree from Pace University School of Law and his undergraduate degree from Stony Brook University. He is a member of the Suffolk County Bar Association; the Summit Council, a group of civil justice attorneys; the New York State Trial Lawyers Association; and the New York Road Runners (he has completed 59 marathons). He had three children graduate from Bay Shore schools. Arcuri has been on the board since 2004 and served three terms as president.

KEY ISSUE Arcuri points to his continued service and commitment to preserving programs without breaking the tax cap. "My experience will allow the community to have confidence in the stability I bring to the board," along with his efforts to bridge understanding through making a personal effort to break down complex issues, present both sides and be a voice for the children.

Thomas Falconer

BACKGROUND Falconer, 34, is a statistician in biomedical informatics at Columbia University. He earned his bachelor's in economics at the University of Miami and his master's in applied mathematics at Stony Brook University. His parents are teachers in the Bay Shore district who plan to retire in 2020.

KEY ISSUE "I'm running because I want to bring a complementary, and I think needed, skill set and perspective to the table. All decisions are data driven and use data to prove their effectiveness. I can ask informed questions." He also would work to help Bay Shore students take advantage of Stony Brook research and enrichment programs.

Nic Scott

BACKGROUND Scott, 49, is a social studies teacher in Brentwood who retired as a lieutenant colonel from the Army Reserves in 2018, where he served in the Judge Advocate General Corps for 22 years. His last four years were on active duty, two years in Afghanistan and two years at the Pentagon. He earned his associate's from Suffolk County Community College, his bachelor's from Hofstra and a law degree from Villanova University School of Law. He has a teaching certificate from Dowling College and school-related certificates from Stony Brook University. His wife is a teacher in Brentwood. He has two children attending Bay Shore schools.

KEY ISSUE "When you weigh my experience as a lawyer, as an educator and my trusted leadership in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Pentagon, you can trust that I will serve in the best interest of our students and our taxpayers." Scott says he also wants to expand district programs such as esports and robotics to middle school and elementary students.